Bothin
Marsh Open Space Preserve,
Marin County Open Space District,
Marin County
In brief:
1.6 mile out and back walk on a paved multi-use trail right off Interstate 101.
Getting there:
From northbound Interstate 101 in Marin County, exit CA 1/Mill Valley/Stinson
Beach and turn right onto the first road at the base of the exit ramp, Pohono
Street. Park on the side of the street (there are a few additional side-of-street
spots on Shoreline, just north and south of Pohono).
Trailhead details:
Scarce parking on the side of the road (adjacent parking lots are reserved for
business tenants). No parking or entrance fees, and no facilities. No designated
handicapped parking on the street. There is a drinking fountain on the side of
the trail just north of the Richardson Bay Bridge. Golden Gate Transit buses stop
at this trailhead. Visit the Transit
Info website for details.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 1.6 mile out and back walk is easy. The trail is perfectly flat.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Pay phone, gas, stores, and restaurants south on Bridgeway in Sausalito, or north
along Shoreline at Tam junction. No camping.
Rules:
None posted on the trail, which is multi-use. Dogs are permitted on the paved
trail, but there are some parts of the marsh from which they are prohibited.
The Official Story:
MCOSD field office 415-499-6405
MCOSD Bothin
Marsh page
Map Choices:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there.
• Download the preserve
map pdf from MCSOD
• Map
from Bay Trail
• Trails of Mt. Tamalpais and the Marin Headlands, by Gerald Olmsted
(order
this map from Amazon.com) shows the trail to and through Bothin Marsh.
• Barry Spitz's Open Spaces has a good map and trail description (order
this book from Amazon.com).
If you've exited northbound Highway 101 on the way to Mount
Tamalpais, you've driven
right past Bothin Marsh and the Bicentennial Bike Path. Originating (in the loosest
sense) on Sausalito's Harbor Drive, the Bicentennial Bike Path travels along the
side of Bridgeway Boulevard, passes under the highway, then bisects Bothin Marsh
and continues north into Mill Valley. For cyclists, Bicentennial Bike Path is
one of a handful of bike paths that ease cycling trips through southern Marin
County. Hikers without a destination along the Bicentennial Bike Path will probably
prefer to pick up the trail just off Highway 101's Shoreline exit, and walk out-and-back
on it through Bothin Marsh.
The marsh, squeezed on all sides by civilization,
is hardly a serene place. Traffic noise from the Richardson Bay Bridge, and surrounding
neighborhoods, is pervasive. Most (non-cycling) people seem to visit for daily
exercise, usually with kids and/or dogs in tow. Weather permitting there are nice
views of Mount Tamalpais, and you'll have the opportunity to watch some standard
marsh wildlife, including ducks, gulls, egrets, and ravens.
Start from Pohono Street, 
and
walk toward the highway. Turn right onto the signed Bay Trail segment of the
Bicentennial Bike Path. Follow Bicentennial Bike Path etiquette and walk
on the dirt on the right side of the path, allowing cyclists full use of the paved
trail. You'll pass beneath Highway 101 and emerge in the marsh. Cord grass and
pickleweed grow along the trail, and in these far reaches of Richardson Bay groups
of ducks cluster together in secluded pools. As you cross the first bridge, look
to the left for two paths (on either side of Coyote Creek), which lead to the
roadside businesses on Shoreline. Continue straight on the Bicentennial Bike Path
(shown on the map in Open Spaces as Mill Valley-Sausalito Multi-Use Path).
There are a few benches here and there, and some interpretive panels on the marsh
ecology and the building of the Richardson Bay Bridge. Mount Tamalpais is obvious
straight ahead to the north, but there are other views of Strawberry Point (to
the east), and west to some Marin Headlands hills. You can head back to the trailhead
when you feel like it, but a logical turnaround place is where the path draws
near to Miller Avenue near the "Welcome to Mill Valley" sign, at 0.75
mile.
On the way back, near the water fountain and just
before the highway underpass, turn left onto a paved path. This little
loop takes a different route under the highway, and on the other side there are
unobstructed views of Strawberry Point, Belvedere, and Treasure Island, as well
as a few more interpretive signs. At the end of the path, walk alongside the
parking lot, turn left onto the Bicentennial Bike Path, and return to the trailhead.
Total distance: 1.60 miles
Last visit: Tuesday, November 20, 2001
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
right past Bothin Marsh and the Bicentennial Bike Path. Originating (in the loosest
sense) on Sausalito's Harbor Drive, the Bicentennial Bike Path travels along the
side of Bridgeway Boulevard, passes under the highway, then bisects Bothin Marsh
and continues north into Mill Valley. For cyclists, Bicentennial Bike Path is
one of a handful of bike paths that ease cycling trips through southern Marin
County. Hikers without a destination along the Bicentennial Bike Path will probably
prefer to pick up the trail just off Highway 101's Shoreline exit, and walk out-and-back
on it through Bothin Marsh. 
and
walk toward the highway. Turn right onto the signed Bay Trail segment of the
Bicentennial Bike Path. Follow Bicentennial Bike Path etiquette and walk
on the dirt on the right side of the path, allowing cyclists full use of the paved
trail. You'll pass beneath Highway 101 and emerge in the marsh. Cord grass and
pickleweed grow along the trail, and in these far reaches of Richardson Bay groups
of ducks cluster together in secluded pools. As you cross the first bridge, look
to the left for two paths (on either side of Coyote Creek), which lead to the
roadside businesses on Shoreline. Continue straight on the Bicentennial Bike Path
(shown on the map in Open Spaces as Mill Valley-Sausalito Multi-Use Path).
There are a few benches here and there, and some interpretive panels on the marsh
ecology and the building of the Richardson Bay Bridge. Mount Tamalpais is obvious
straight ahead to the north, but there are other views of Strawberry Point (to
the east), and west to some Marin Headlands hills. You can head back to the trailhead
when you feel like it, but a logical turnaround place is where the path draws
near to Miller Avenue near the "Welcome to Mill Valley" sign, at 0.75
mile. 